


My Heart's Best Treasure

by TMar



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Child Death, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 01:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16587998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: Getting pregnant by a Trill is one thing; getting pregnant by a Trill in a human body is another. Trill law, human law... and the Borg interfering, as usual.





	My Heart's Best Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> This story appeared in "Naked Now Two" in 1992.
> 
> It is intended as a sequel to "The Host". All Trill and Borg canon subsequent to that episode has been ignored (because at the time of writing there WAS no other Trill and Borg canon!).

My Heart's Best Treasure

When Doctor Beverly Crusher didn't feel very well for the third consecutive day in a row, she started to suspect that something was wrong. She ran a series of blood tests, and checked for alien microbes before she was forced to admit to herself that there was only one thing left it could be. She knew the signs, having had Wesley, but she had tried testing for everything else in the hope that it wasn't what it seemed to be. She sat in Sickbay, looking down at her tricorder, afraid to do that one simple scan... but, eventually she admitted that denying it would not make it go away. So she set her tricorder and did the scan.

It was positive, of course. Not only did the readings tell her that she was, in fact, pregnant, but they also told her exactly how far along, and if she'd wanted to, she could have calculated the precise date of conception. But that scared Beverly even more than discovering she was pregnant again, nineteen years since she'd had Wesley.

'How could I have been so stupid!' she thought to herself, but she knew that it wasn't stupidity; it had been the fact that she had loved Odan so much she'd forgotten all common sense. Beverly smiled to herself, thinking of Odan... Leaving him... her... had hurt, but it had been for the best. She remembered the last night she'd spent with him, before he'd gone to conduct the negotiations between the Alpha and Beta delegates... he had been so... so...

"Oh my --!" The doctor suddenly sat up, thinking of something which had not occurred to her until now: she had spent the night with Odan, but Odan... "Oh no!" Odan had been in Will Riker's body.

Now, there was no more hesitation in Beverly as she adjusted the tricorder and scanned herself again. The exact number of days and hours since conception came up on it, and, with that data in hand, Beverly hurried over to the computer and fed in the data, praying that what she thought had probably happened, HADN'T. But as she checked the stardate and hour, she knew it had.

She sat there trying not to hyperventilate. 'Keep calm, Beverly, stay calm.' She was sure Will Riker would not know what to say or do either. And Beverly pondered the problem: she had slept with Odan, so theoretically, it was Odan's baby. But genetically, and according to human law, it was Will Riker's. Beverly got up and quickly gave herself a sedative, one which would not harm the baby.

'What am I going to do?' She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and when she opened them, Deanna Troi stood in the doorway.

This was one time that Crusher did NOT want to see her friend, and she didn't even have a reason why. Deanna looked extremely worried. "Beverly?" She came up and took Beverly's hand. "Are you all right? What's wrong? I could feel your panic all the way to the bridge."

The doctor swallowed, looked down, and shook her head. "Please, Deanna, I don't want to talk about it."

"But I can tell you're not well. Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"I can't; not now." She looked Deanna in the eye. "Please respect that."

"All right," said the counselor. "But when you do want to talk, I'm here to listen."

Beverly smiled a weak smile. "Thanks, Deanna."

Deanna went out, and Beverly pondered what to do. 'I just wish it would all go away!' she thought... and realised that she could, if she wanted to, make it go away. One hypospray, and her troubles would be over... but the physican in her rebelled against that... at least for now.

'I've gotta get out of here!' thought Beverly, getting up and going to Ten Forward.

She didn't know why she'd come here, but when she walked in, she knew it was the right place to be. There were people in here, but if she wanted them to, they'd leave her alone... Still, she had the comforting background buzz of conversation to stop her going crazy. She ordered some lemon tea and took it to a back table to sit down. The table was in the shadows, and it was only here, now, that Beverly let herself cry about it...

"May I join you?"

Beverly looked up to find Guinan standing there. She tried to wipe the tears away, but she realised that Guinan had seen. Guinan was not even waiting for permission to join her, Beverly noticed; she simply sat down and said, "What's hurting you?"

"It's nothing, Guinan; please don't ask me."

"You know, when people say there's nothing wrong, they usually mean the exact opposite. Now, it's usually when people don't want to talk that talking can do the most good." She waited expectantly for Beverly to tell her what was wrong.

"Guinan, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but..."

"But nothing," said the alien forcefully. "You need to talk to someone. Perhaps I can even help you." She smiled. "It's not outside the realm of possibility, you know."

The doctor took a deep breath. “I don't know what to do, Guinan. It's all like a bad dream. You see, I..."

"You're pregnant."

Beverly was startled. "How did you know?"

"Intuition. I assume you don't want the baby?"

"That's the thing! I don't know what to do! It's complicated, and..."

"Start at the beginning."

"I was in love with Ambassador Odan... and, now, I'm having his baby."

"If that was all, you wouldn't be so upset. Give me the punchline."

"It's Will Riker's baby... I mean, Odan was in his body when... and I don't want to tell him! I don't want to do this to him! But I can't tell Odan, either, because... I don't know why, but I can't.

"Tell them both, and all of you can decide what to do."

Beverly looked at Guinan, even more panic-stricken than before. "I don't want to, I... it'll be better if I don't have this baby."

And with that, Beverly got up and ran out.

Guinan left Ten Forward and went to the bridge, where she told both Picard and Riker the whole story.

"And where is she now?" asked Riker, his mind reeling from this revelation, but knowing that if Beverly did get rid of this baby, she'd never forgive herself.

"I think she's probably in Sickbay, getting the appropriate medication."

"We can't let her do that!" said Picard, as both he and Riker raced out of Picard's ready room and rushed to Sickbay.

They found Beverly Crusher in Sickbay, holding a hypo against her arm and crying. Guinan walked in after them and stood in the background. Beverly looked at her and knew immediately what Guinan had done. She said nothing to Guinan, but didn't move the hypo-spray, either, she just stared at them.

Picard came forward. "Beverly, what are you doing?"

"It'll be better if I never have this baby, Jean-Luc. I don't want to do this to Will, to Odan ... it'll be for the best."

Picard decided not to argue the way Beverly seemed to be arguing. Instead, he said, "Would you have done this nineteen years ago if there had been a similar problem? Would you give Wesley up for anything?" He could see that Beverly hadn't thought along those lines, because she looked at him with clearer eyes. "No."

"Then put down the hypospray, Doctor. We can work this out."

Nodding, Crusher put it down, and Picard came forward and hugged her. "It's all right. Everything will be all right." Then he tapped his communicator. "Doctor Hill to Sickbay."

Dr. Hill gave Beverly a sedative, and then Picard took her to her cabin and let Deanna put her to bed. When everything was done, Deanna came out of the bedroom and said, "She refused to talk to me about it, Captain."

Picard looked at Riker, but spoke to Troi. "I suppose that's understandable."

They walked to the bridge together, and Deanna said, "What ARE we going to do, Captain? I can feel that Beverly wants this baby, but she's afraid."

"Afraid of what?" asked Riker.

"Of Odan's reaction... of yours."

Riker shrugged. "My only reaction up to now is to support Beverly," he said.

"I think that's what she needs, Will, so please tell her that when she wakes up.”

"All right."

They walked into the captain's Ready Room. "There's another thing," said Troi. "The Trill. Their laws about this kind of thing might be very strict... but we'll have to inform them.”

"I agree," said Picard.

"I don't." Surprised, both the others turned and looked at Riker. "I don't think this is any of Odan's business," he said. "It's not his baby."

"Will, the Trill might have some law that says it is."

"That's ridiculous!" the First Officer declared. "Genetically, it's my baby."

"Genetically," agreed Troi. "But the Trill might have some other considerations."

Before the discussion could go further, Picard interrupted. "There's the question of relations with the Trill to consider here. Whatever we might be inclined to think, it is our duty to inform Ambassador Odan of the situation."

"I'll take care of it," said Deanna, leaving. But Riker turned to Picard. Captain --"

"Will, I can only guess at your feelings about this matter, but we have to look at the whole picture."

Riker sighed, knowing he could never budge Picard once he'd made up his mind. "Aye, Sir," he said, and went out.

Picard watched Riker go, and, while he sympathised with Riker, he worried more about his chief medical officer. She was one of the strongest, most tender, most caring, most independent women he'd known... and he cared deeply about her. He wished there was something he could do to ease her pain, but he knew there wasn't. All he could do was be there for her in case she needed him.

Three days went by while Beverly tried to get her thoughts in order. She spoke to Deanna about it, but she avoided William T. Riker like the plague. When he asked Troi why, she explained that Beverly wanted to make her own mind up about the baby, without other people's agendas intruding.

Then one day Riker's door chimed. "Come in," he said and the door opened to reveal Doctor Beverly Crusher standing there, smiling. "Beverly?" he said, hardly able to believe his eyes.

"Hi, Will. Can I come in?"

"Sure." He stepped aside so she could enter, then he offered her something to drink.

As she sipped her lemon tea, Beverly told him of her thoughts on the matter. "I've decided what to do."

"You have?" Riker looked worried - what if she'd decided she didn't want to have this baby after all? But Beverly smiled. "Yes. I've decided that what matters is that it is MY baby. I am having it, I am keeping it. I don't care what Odan might say."

"What about me?"

Beverly got up and sat next to Riker, taking his hand. "Will, what are your feelings about this? I think it's only fair to ask you; after all, it's really thanks to you that I'm in this situation." Riker looked about to protest, but she forestalled him. "No, wait. How do you feel about this baby?"

"It's mine," said Riker simply. "Odan might have been merged with me, but that was my body, and it's my baby too."

Tears rolled down Beverly Crusher's cheeks. This time she didn't bother to wipe them away. "I was ready to hear you deny responsibility. You could, you know. I wouldn't think less of you."

"Beverly,” and here Riker took her by the shoulders, "I'd never do that. I never thought of being a father before, but it's not exactly... unpleasant."

They both laughed, realising that this had not done anything to damage their friendship. Impulsively, Beverly hugged Will. "You're one in a million, you know that?"

“Well, actually..." he mused, smiling, and she punched him. "Okay, okay. I have a great name for this baby."

"What?" she asked innocently, as if she didn't know.

"How about William Riker?"

"What if it's a girl?"

"I'll leave that to you.”

Beverly smiled a soft, sweet smile. "I always had a dream of naming my daughter Jennifer."

"Jennifer Riker..." mused Will. "Sounds fine to me."

Beverly got up and turned back to Riker at the door. "Will... thanks."

He came up, hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "You're welcome."

"Captain, the Trill vessel has a passenger for us."

Picard sat up straight in his command chair. "The ambassador?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Very well. Mister Worf, open Shuttlebay Two."

"Aye, Sir."

Riker had just stepped onto the bridge when he heard the news that the Trill vessel had arrived. He strode forward and said to Picard, "Did you know about this, Captain?"

"No, Commander. Counselor Troi just informed me that the Trill were on their way."

Riker's voice betrayed his anger. "I wonder what she wants!"

"We won't know until she tells us, will we?" Then Picard stood up and faced his first officer. "And Commander - you will conduct yourself properly."

Riker was NOT used to being told how to behave by his superiors; he'd always behaved with the utmost decorum. He gave Picard an irritated look and said, "Of course, Captain."

“Good. Now let's go and greet the Ambassador."

Odan stepped off the Trill shuttle and walked over to Picard, greeting him like an old friend... which he was, really. "Captain Picard."

Picard smiled back. "Ambassador Odan. It's lovely to see you again. What a pity it couldn't be under different circumstances."

The woman nodded, then turned to Riker. "Commander Riker."

"Ambassador."

She turned back to the captain. "I'm here to lay out the Trill's position in this matter. As Counselor Troi has guessed, we do have laws pertaining to situations like this."

Picard nodded as they walked out of the shuttlebay. "I thought as much."

"Hmmm, then you'll realise that it's very important to our species."

In the turbolift, Riker faced Odan. "Give me the bottom line, Ambassador."

The woman frowned. "The bottom line?"

"The punch line... the end result."

"Oh. I would prefer to discuss it with the captain before saying anything further."

Riker made a face that clearly said he wasn't satisfied, but he said nothing else.

Picard and Odan faced each other in the captain's Ready Room. "Captain, my people have rules about the offspring produced between two hosts."

"Doctor Crusher wasn't a host."

"The laws still apply."

"Let me guess," said Picard. "According to Trill law, the baby belongs to you."

"Yes. The symbiont being is considered the parent. And under Trill law, the child belongs to the father."

"You?"

"Yes."

"No matter what form you take on?"-

"Yes."

"Ambassador, Federation law is pretty flexible... but on many planets ...especially planets populated by humans, the mother is considered to be the person who decides what happens to the child."

"You are telling me this because Doctor Beverly wants to keep the child?"

Picard nodded. "I don't think she'll even consider giving the baby to you."

Odan shrugged, but Picard went on, "And there is another thing to consider. This baby is fully human. It can never take part in Trill life."

Odan smiled... a beguiling smile that Picard thought Kareel had probably used well. "I understand it can never be a host, Captain. But there are other things for members of the Trill to do."

Idly, Picard wondered how the symbionts reproduced, and whether those children were considered the property of the father... And what about the hosts? Didn't they have lives? But that was a worry for another time. Right now, he had to tell his chief medical officer what Odan had said, and let her decide. "Ambassador,  
would you like me to inform the doctor, or would you prefer to?"

"I'd like to if you don't mind, Captain."

"Very wel1."

Beverly Crusher had begun to feel happy about the prospect of being a mother again when the call came for her to meet Ambassador Odan in the Observation Lounge. Like Picard, she knew that it could only mean one thing, but she had to go, to hear it for herself.

When the doors opened to admit Beverly, Odan turned around and her breath was taken away... Beverly was just as beautiful as she had been when Odan had known her those four months before. Odan purposely constructed a passive exterior to hide her feelings for the doctor, but when Beverly gave a weak smile, it crumbled and Odan walked hesitantly forward. "Doctor Beverly."

"Hello Odan."

"I realise my showing up like this is a shock, but I had to come and see for myself, and..." She faltered.

Beverly picked up the thread of her sentence. "And set out the Trill's position."

"Yes. Beverly, you must understand... I still love you. That will never change."

When Odan said that, the doctor shut her eyes against the images and memories which assaulted her. 'I am Odan, who loved you... that has not changed... I still love you... Beverly, I want you... Yes, I am still Odan and I still love you... I cannot imagine that ever changing... I still love you...' 

"I know you still love me!" she said desperately. "I love you, too, but..."

"I have something for you." And from behind her back, Odan brought out a red rose and gave it to Beverly, who burst into tears.

"I thought it was over. Dammit, Odan, why didn't you stay away?"

"Because that is my child."

At that, the protective mother in Crusher came to the fore and she said, "You might say that, but Will Riker says something else."

"So that's why he was so standoffish," said Odan, more to herself than to the doctor. "Look, Doctor Beverly. Trill law is very explicit. In cases like these, the child goes to the father. I am supposed to inform you, and take the baby back when it is born."

"No."

“You don't think I'm the father?"

"It's not that. This baby is mine, and it is staying with me."

"Beverly, I care for you, but I will go to the Federation council about this."

"I know," answered Crusher. "You do what you must, and I'll do what I must." She started to cry again, and Odan put her arms around her and comforted her, wondering how things would have turned out if the Trill had had a male host available when Odan's previous host had died.

***

"Deanna, he... she... can't take the baby way from Beverly, can she?"

Deanna Troi was beginning to wonder if her flooring wouldn't get worn away by Riker's pacing. It was starting to get on her nerves. "Will, under Trill law she can, and will, if we let her. You realise the Federation might order Beverly to hand over the baby."

“i won't let them do that," he said forcefully. "That's my baby too."

"Will, sit down! You're giving me a headache."

"Sorry."

Deanna sat next to him on the couch and patiently said, "You're thinking of yourself now... which is all right, and quite natural. Try to calm down and think of how Odan might see it."

"Frankly, Deanna, I don't care how Odan sees it."

And then Deanna saw something she hadn't noticed before: Riker was angry because he saw Odan's returning - after he had done him the favour of volunteering his body - as a betrayal. "You think Odan betrayed you," observed the counselor. "That's it, isn't it? You feel betrayed. I knew there was another feeling you were trying to deny.

"You were looking forward to being a father, and Odan has upset that dream. You know," and here Deanna looked at Riker in a new way, "I always did think you'd make a good father."

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed, and Riker moved closer to Deanna. "You're probably right..." he said, "...but I never thought Beverly would be the mother of my child."

This statement could hardly be misunderstood, and Deanna looked away. Riker touched her cheek to get her to look at him. "No," she said.

"Are you sure?"

“Will, under any other circumstances... but now you're really seeking to blot out thoughts of Odan and Beverly and the baby."

Riker sighed. "Sorry."

"It's all right. When this is over... come back to me." And Deanna smiled a bright, flirtatious smile at him.

"Imzadi," said Riker, kissing her forehead before leaving. As usual, speaking to Deanna made him feel much better.

"No, Mister President, I will NOT give my child to Ambassador Odan!" Beverly was saying to the president of the Federation Council.

The president sighed. His Vulcan face looked rather irritated, though how he managed to do that without any facial muscles was beyond everybody. "Doctor Crusher, I realise that you must have feelings for this unborn child, but you must consider the Federation's position. We have to keep good relations with the Trill."

"And you think my refusing to give her the baby will strain those relations."

"Yes."

"Mister President, tell me something. How did you decide to follow Trill law in this matter and not Federation law?"

The Vulcan looked nonplussed for a moment, then said, "It is in both worlds' best interests."

"Do you know what you are doing, Sir? You are putting politics ahead of your people. Under Terran law, I do not have to give Odan my baby. And this baby is as human as I am."

"I have studied the relevant laws carefully," said the president. "In the opinion of the council, Trill law takes precedence."

"How convenient!" yelled Crusher, frowning as the image on the screen began to break up.

"Doctor Crusher, we do ... order you ... baby ..."

"Crusher to bridge," said the doctor, using her communicator.

"Bridge here."

"Worf, my transmission from the President is breaking up. What's going on?" As she said that, the image winked out altogether.

"I'm not sure, Doctor. We are scanning a small ship at the limit of our sensors. Perhaps that is causing it."

"Well, my transmission's gone. Not that I want you to get it back," she added. All she got in reply to that was a "Doctor?"

"Nothing, Mr. Worf."

Picard, reading War and Peace in his quarters, was summoned to the bridge when the ship seemingly causing the subspace distortion began to approach the Enterprise. "Kind of ship, Mr. Data?"

"Unknown, Sir. It is still too far away to get an accurate scan."

"Keep trying," said Picard, sitting down and looking worried. There weren't that many ships that they knew of that created subspace distortion, but some of their enemies clearly knew how to do it to prevent communications to and from Starfleet headquarters.

Then Data said, "Sir, the ship has accelerated. It is now at Warp 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... it has passed our velocity and will catch us up in five point two minutes."

Picard nodded. "Let it , Mr. Data. Let's see what they want."

Data now scanned the ship, and he turned to look at the captain. "Captain, the vessel appears to be... a smaller version of the Borg ship."

"WHAT!" Worf thought that the entire ship probably heard Picard's surprised utterance. He confirmed Data's sensor readings and then said, "Recommend we do not let them approach us, Captain."

Picard's instincts were to seek compromise between themselves and any new lifeforms, but when it came to the Borg he wasn't in any mood to do so; he just wanted to get as far away from the Borg as he possibly could. Managing to keep the hysteria out of his voice, Picard said, "Agreed. Mr. Data, go to Warp 9."

Data looked surprised at being told to jump from Warp 5 to Warp 9, but he did as ordered, continuing to scan the Borg ship. "Sir, the Borg ship has changed speed to intercept us."

Picard tapped his communicator. "Mister LaForge, go to Warp 9.6"

"Captain, I don't know if that's advisable."

"Do it, Mister La Forge.”

"Aye, Sir."

And Data continued, "The Borg ship has changed speed to intercept us."

"Shields up, full strength. Mister LaForge, adjust shield harmonics."

"Aye, Captain."

But the ship caught up, and though it was very small - comparable to a scout ship in size - it had the Borg's cube shape, and, well, it LOOKED like a Borg ship.

Picard struggled to remain calm. "Mister LaForge, can you get us any more speed?"

"Negative, Sir, unless you want to end up at the end of the universe again." 

Theoretically, there was no way for any ship to reach Warp 10 as it was the infinite as far as warp speeds went.

Picard was gripping the back of Data's chair so hard that his hand hurt. "All right. Mister Worf, open hailing frequencies."

"Open, Sir."

This time Picard did not introduce himself. He merely said, "This is the Commander of a Federation starship. Your presence here is an act of war."

The Borg didn't reply.

And on the engineering deck, two Borg soldiers appeared, grabbed hold of the nearest two people, and vanished again. One appeared in Ten Forward and grabbed the nearest person there. At least three appeared in corridors and did the same, and two appeared in Sickbay. One grabbed a patient lying on a biobed and the other grabbed Doctor Beverly Crusher.

Standing on the bridge feeling helpless, Picard was suddenly thrown into even worse panic when the reports came in of the Borg soldiers who had abducted members of his crew. "Who's missing?" he asked Worf.

"Lieutenant Barclay, Ensign Jacobs, Carolyn Seymour, Timmy Hatheson, Lieutenant Commander S*Vai, Ensign Hinkley, Ensign Janal... and Doctor Crusher."

Picard whirled and faced Worf. "Is that it?" he asked, trying not to collapse in his mind.

"Yes, Sir."

"Sir, the Borg ship is leaving."

"Pursuit course, Hr. Data. We don't want to lose them."

"Aye, Sir."

Picard collapsed into his command chair, not even noticing that his hands were shaking terribly, when Odan came out of the turbolift. "Captain, what's going on?"

The captain took a deep breath and replied, "We just had an encounter with a small Borg ship. They have abducted eight members of my crew. I'm sorry, but Doctor Crusher was one of them."

"Beverly?"

"Yes." Then Picard stood up. "Conference," he said. "Ambassador, you may want to join us."

"Thank you, Captain."

Picard turned to his Conn officer. "Don't lose them."

"Ideas? Opinions?" said Picard to his command staff.

"This ship is definitely a Borg vessel, Captain," said Data, "but It appears to have been manufactured for a reason different to other Borg ships we encountered."

"Any ideas as to what this reason might be?"

"The size seems to indicate a scout vessel of some kind, Captain," said Worf.

"A scout vessel?"

"Yes, Sir."

"A scout vessel... for that?" asked Riker.

Deanna answered, "Perhaps since their last encounter with us, they have decided to alter their plans."

"Alter how?"

"In any number of ways. Perhaps by assimilating more humans so that they will make less mistakes next time. Perhaps by taking more humans to see if we are indeed suitable for assimilation."

"And if we aren't, gggrrrk," said Geordi, drawing his hand across his throat indicating that they'd probably all be killed.

Everyone concurred, but Riker and Odan had something more to worry about. "And the baby, Deanna? What about the baby?" asked Riker.

Deanna shrugged. "We can't know. We know that the Borg do begin assimilation of their own infants after birth, but whether they'll do that with Beverly's..." She trailed off.

"Let's not let it get that far," said Picard who was also worried about the baby, but much more so about Beverly. "Commander Riker, organise an Away Team. Tune phasers, take as many people as you think you'll need. You are going over there to get our people back."

On the bridge, Picard ordered that they match the Borg's velocity. Geordi came back with a squeak of, "Captain, they're travelling at Warp 9.8!"

"Mister LaForge, we have to get to Warp 9.8 for transport."

He heard the engineer sigh, but then Geordi said, "Aye, Captain. I'll do it somehow." And under his breath he commented, "I just hope we don't end up in the next galaxy."

Riker stood on the transport platform with Worf and four security people. "Remember, don't use the phasers unless you have to. We can use each of them twice before they adapt to the frequencies. We're there to find our people and bring them back, no matter what their condition."

"Yes, Sir," was the chorus.

Riker took a deep breath. He hated the Borg, sure, but he didn't have the same emotional reaction to them that Picard had. Riker saw them as just another threat, much like the Romulans, to be reasoned with or fought. Will knew that Picard saw them as something more - something which could take away what you were. Riker just hoped they hadn't done that to Beverly, Barclay and the other Enterprise people who'd been taken. "All right, Mister O'Brien, energise."

The party dematerialised and rematerialised aboard the Borg scout ship, it was much like the other Borg ship they'd been in, but things looked a little more compact. 

"Readings, Mr. Worf?"

"Not sure, Commander. I am picking up ... three human lifeforms ... that way." He led the Away Team to a general area where a group of Borgs was performing some kind of operation on some humans - although the group could only see feet. As was usual, the Borgs ignored the Enterprise Away Team. "Phasers," said Riker.

They all took aim and phasered the entire group of Borgs around the humans, then ran forward to see what was what. Beverly Crusher, Barclay and Jacobs lay on some sort of preparation tables, and already had all sorts of cybernetic implants attached to them. They appeared unconscious, but that meant nothing; perhaps they had merely been rendered incapable of movement for this procedure. Worf and Lt. Whytt were checking for anything which could prevent the people being moved. "Well?" asked Riker.

"I think we can beam them back," the Security Chief answered.

"Good. Enterprise, lock onto the three humans at these coordinates and energise."

The first three vanished, and Riker looked around. "The others?"

Worf shook his head. "I cannot pick up any non-cybernetic lifeforms."

"They must be here," said Riker.

"They must have already been assimilated," replied Worf, thinking the worst as usual. But Riker agreed with him. "Okay, fan out and look for them. Don't use your weapons unless you have to." Riker was frowning because he didn't understand why, when their comrades had been killed, more Borgs hadn't shown up.

The Away Team fanned out, and found two more Enterprise people; the others seemed to have vanished into thin air. "Who's still missing?" Riker asked Worf.

"Timmy Matheson, S*Vai, Carolyn Seymour."

"I'll entertain suggestions," said Riker.

"Look again. We could have missed something.”

“Very well. Mister Worf, you will get a look at each Borg here. Look in what appear to be chambers, drawers; you know what to look for."

"Yes, Commander."

When the Away Team beamed back to the Enterprise, all the doctors in Sickbay were busy performing microsurgery to remove the implants which the Borg had put into their people. Data had managed to plant commands into each of the people who had been partially assimilated in order to remove them from the Borg's group consciousness.

"All right, from the top, Number One," said Picard as he paced up and down in the observation lounge.

Riker stood up, performed the Picard Maneuver, and took a deep breath. "Where do I start?" he pondered. "Five of our people have been rescued; you have the reports. Data managed to separate them from the Borg; however he couldn't access the 'sleep' command the way he did the last time." Picard nodded, indicating that he knew this, so Riker went on. "The other three had been... I suppose the only word we can use is 'terminated'. That was why we couldn't pick up their lifesigns."

Why do you think that was?"

Riker looked thoughtful. "We still don't know what the precedent is for a Borg ship of that size... perhaps they were thought of as unsuitable... who knows."

"Theories?"

Riker shook his head, as did Worf.

"Mister Worf, you did send a message to Starfleet about that ship?” said Picard, double-checking. When they had rescued their people, the Enterprise had been forced to drastically reduce her speed, and they were sublight while Geordi made some adjustments to the warp engines. Of course, that had meant that the Borg scout ship had quickly gotten very far ahead of them.

"Yes, Sir," said Worf. "I am puzzled about one thing."

"Which is?"

"The last time we encountered them, the Borg did not seem interested in kidnapping so many people. They merely announced that they were going to Earth to begin our assimilation. These... they have a different goal, I'm sure of it."

"That theory is supported by facts," agreed Data.

"I know what they wanted." At this announcement, everyone looked up to see a rather tired looking Beverly Crusher standing in the doorway. Picard got up and steadied her as she walked towards the table. When she was seated she said, "They're like... a cell. It divides and both new cells grow bigger and divide. This is a very new division... these Borg are starting from scratch, as it were."

"How do you know this, Doctor?" Data inquired.

"I was linked to the Borg consciousness for three hours. Data."

Data merely nodded, and Beverly continued. "Their priority is not merely to absorb new technology, it is to grow. And to grow, they need numbers."

"You're saying they kidnapped people to increase their population?"

"Yes, but it's more than that. They only take as many people as they need and can handle. For instance, if two Borg are killed, they will take two people as replacements, and absorb as many others as they can, then use those to increase the size of the ship, and assimilate more people."

"But the Borg are a race of their own," said Picard; he knew this from HIS experience with the Borg group mind. Crusher nodded. "When they have enough numbers and have produced the technology to reproduce themselves. Until then..." She trailed off, the rest being self-evident.

Picard turned to Worf. "Mr. Worf, in your opinion, could a Borg ship this size be destroyed?"

"Possibly," said the Klingon. "It does not have the advantage that a Borg ship of normal size would."

"Good," said Picard, getting up, and effectively ending the meeting.

Everyone left the observation lounge, except for his chief medical officer. Picard had been about to walk out, but now he stopped, thinking that perhaps Beverly wanted to speak to him in private. He strode forward. "Beverly?"

At the sound of his voice, the doctor looked up. Picard noted tears on her cheeks, and he realised that there was definitely something wrong, so he took the chair next to hers. "What's wrong, Doctor?" he asked gently. "Is it your experience with the Borg?"

Beverly looked at him and shook her head. In an unsteady voice she said, "Not my experience. They... they..." And then she covered her face with her hands and her body was wracked with sobs.

Picard had no idea what to do. He wasn't used to having to deal with outpourings of emotion from his crew. Eventually he put his hand on her shoulder. "Tell me."

Beverly wiped at her tears, and looked him in the face. "They killed it, Jean Luc. They killed my baby."

Picard was very surprised. "WHAT?"

Crusher swallowed hard. "They don't have the technology to assimilate offspring yet," she said, unsteadily, "But they deemed me good enough to be a soldier. So..." She began to cry again. "So they got rid of it."

They only thing that came into Picard's mind was, 'How?' So he asked, and Beverly cried even more. "They... when they... assimilated me, they... they did it. I didn't feel anything, I didn't... I didn't even notice! But now, scans show... it's gone." Beverly got up and stumbled towards the door, intent on getting away from this... but Picard stood in front of her. "I'm here, Beverly," he said, and enfolded her in his arms.

Riker was in Sickbay debriefing the others who had been kidnapped by the Borg when Picard walked in carrying his chief medical officer. "What happened?" the First Officer demanded.

After Picard had settled Beverly on a biobed, he turned and explained the situation to Riker, whose face fell. "The Borg aborted it?"

"It would appear so," answered the captain.

Riker looked down, looked away, anywhere but at other people, and Picard stepped in front of him and said, "I'm sorry, Will."

Riker nodded and walked out.

Deanna Troi found him in his quarters, idly staring at the wall. "I heard," she said.

"I don't want to talk about it," answered Will.

"I think you should."

"Please, Deanna, let me mourn this in my own way." He turned away from her, but Troi walked over and sat facing him again. 

"You must talk to Beverly about it, then. Share this loss."

Riker got an ironic tone in his voice. "What about Odan?"

Deanna was surprised. “Odan?"

"It was her baby too, she told us that."

Deanna got angry. “What is that supposed to mean? Is that a reason to deny that you've suffered a loss as well?"

"I didn't say that..."

"You're trying to deny it. You're sitting here thinking about it, but you're trying to pretend it never was. Remember, Will, I know you." 

Those black eyes looked into his with such force that Riker realised Deanna was right. He took her in his arms and hugged her. "Why are you always right?" he asked meaning it to be rhetorical. 

But Deanna smiled and answered him. "Counselor's privilege."

Riker disentangled himself and said, "Are you being my counselor now, Counselor?"

"Yes and no," replied Troi. "There's too much of me in this."

She got up and turned at the door. "Go to her. You need to share this loss, and Beverly does too. In her mind, you were the father."

Riker wasn't sure of that, but he sadly replied, "Were the father... were." And Deanna left, her empathic gifts telling her that Riker was far more sad about losing the baby than he would ever let on.

Beverly lay on the biobed, tears still occasionally trickling down the sides of her face. All of a sudden, a blond head moved into her field of vision. "Doctor Beverly?"

Beverly sat up and smiled for Odan's benefit. "You heard, I suppose."

"Yes. I am truly sorry."

The doctor nodded. "It solves our dilemma, but I wouldn't have given you the baby."

"I was going to use Trill law to try to persuade you to come with me. If you wouldn't, I would not have taken your baby."

"You couldn't accept it was over."

"The baby proved it wasn't. I love you, Beverly. And I know you love me."

Crusher shook her head. "It wasn't meant to be, none of it. If I'd been meant to love you, you would have gotten another host. If this baby was meant to be, it would have been born."

Odan shook her head. "I don't believe in fate."

Beverly smiled slightly. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Odan, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

"Of that I have no doubt." She stood. "My transport is here."

The doctor nodded. "I do love you, but..."

"Don't say it wasn't meant to be. It was beautiful."

Beverly nodded again, unable to speak.

"Goodbye, Doctor Beverly."

"Goodbye." And as she said it, Crusher somehow felt that she would never see the ambassador again. "Odan!"

Odan stepped back into the room. "Yes?"

Beverly produced a rose from her bedside - it was the same rose Odan had given her those months before, as he'd boarded the shuttlecraft for that fateful ride to Peliar Zel. It was beautifully preserved, and still looked fresh. "Here."

"Is it - ?"

"Yes. It's to remember me by."

"Thank you, Beverly."

"Remember that roses are given to express love."

"I know. And when I look at it, I will think of you."

Beverly looked down, and Odan exited Sickbay without looking back.

***

Beverly sat on the holodeck, on a windswept field filled with flowers, staring into the distance. Behind her, the door opened at admit Commander Riker. "May I?"

She smiled and indicated that he could sit down.

Riker took a deep breath. "I didn't know if I could come here."

"You're here," said Beverly smiling.

"Yeah. I never did say... I'm so sorry Beverly."

"Will, it's all right. I know you were hurting."

Riker brought his hands to his heart. "I can't explain it. Here, I felt like that child was mine too. I wanted it. I was looking forward to being a father. When the captain told me what the Borg did, it was as if something was wrenched right out of me, leaving a hole that will never be filled. Do you know what I mean?"

"Oh, Will, of course I do! That's how I felt, too. There's a void in my heart and in my mind that our baby had taken up. I mourned it, Will. I cried for him or her..."

"We would have made a helluva set of parents, wouldn't we?"

"Yeah."

"When I thought I was a father with Virash, when he made me think it was sixteen years later and I'd lost my memory, I had all these emotions I began to learn to deal with. Then, it wasn't real. Now..." he shrugged.

"You miss something you had."

Riker nodded. "And you miss something you had, as well."

"Will, our baby's gone!"

Riker put his arm around her, and together, on that windswept field, Beverly Crusher and William T. Riker hugged each other and mourned the loss of the baby that wasn't meant to be.

***

Picard was reading Wordsworth in his quarters when his door chimed. "Come in."

In walked his chief medical officer. "Time for our morning tea, Captain. Sorry I didn't come yesterday."

"It's all right, answered Picard, making to close the book, when Beverly leaned over. "What are you reading?"

"I was... I was considering all that has happened, and I remembered a poem Wordsworth once wrote..."

"About?"

"Beverly, I

"Jean Luc, I promise you I won't fall apart."

"Wordsworth's daughter, Catherine, who died. He wrote it for her."

"Read it to me."

"What?" Picard was genuinely startled. How could he read such a poem to a woman who'd suffered such enormous loss? 

But she went on, "Please. Read it to me.”

So Picard took a deep breath and began:

"Surprised by joy, Impatient as the Wind   
I turned to share the transport - Oh! with whom   
But thee, deep burled in the silent tomb.   
That spot which no vicissitude can find   
Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind.   
But how can I forget thee? Through what power,   
Even to the least division of an hour   
Have I been so beguiled as to be blind   
To my most grievous loss! That thought's return   
Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore,   
Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,   
Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more.   
That neither present time nor years unborn   
Could to my sight that heavenly face restore."

"I will never forget," said Beverly. "Thank you, Jean-Luc."

Picard didn't understand, but he closed the book and then closed his hand over hers. "Shall we have our tea?"

"Yes!"

***

Riker and Deanna were having a lovely walk on the holodeck, where Riker was telling her his feelings... at long last. "So you see, Deanna, you were right."

"I know. Now, you can go on, leave the bitterness behind."

"I hope you won't mind if I still want to wipe every single Borg off the face of the galaxy."

Laughing, Deanna replied, "No, I won't mind."

"But you know, Deanna, this all made me rethink my priorities. Being a starship officer is perhaps not the be-all and end-all of my life."

"A breakthrough!" said Deanna in a light tone, then she noticed that he was deadly serious.

"I denied myself love once, Imzadi, because I thought it was an obstacle to success."

"And now you don't think so?"

"No. I want to have all that - a wife, children, a home... which a starship can be, these days," he added as an afterthought.

"It doesn't sound like you."

"It's very much me."

"What are you saying, Will?"

"That I was wrong, all those years before. That I love you, that I've always loved you. That I want you to be the mother of my children."

"Oh, Will, I --"

Riker took her face in his hands. "I mean it, Deanna. No more stupid games."

"Will --"

"Just tell me you love me."

"I do love you, but ..." And then Riker efficiently silenced her by kissing her quite thoroughly. When the kiss was over, Deanna's mind - not to mention her empathic senses - was reeling from the assault of these wonderful emotions Riker had unleased on her. She remembered being together so long ago, she remembered how he looked, how he tasted, how he smelled... She wasn't sure if she could handle such memories.

Riker was looking into her eyes. "Tell me this isn't what you want," he said.

And for once, Deanna was at a complete loss for words. "I... I can't." She looked shyly down at the ground, but Riker put his finger under her chin and made her look at him. Then he kissed her again, his mind also taken over by memories of being with Deanna.

Deanna's arms locked around Riker, and they felt so familiar to him that Riker knew this was meant to be, for both of them. Together they sank to the ground, which was actually a soft grassy covering on a hill overlooking the sea. "Imzadi," said Riker again.

"My beloved," replied Deanna as she found Riker's expert hands removing her uniform. She also had some practice where Riker was concerned, however, and soon his uniform disappeared as well. Deanna sat up and leaned over Will. "Do you remember everything about us, before?"

"Everything," said Riker, grinning broadly up at her.

"Well, I have some things to show you that you don't know about," she  
said, with a wicked glint in her eye.

Riker was rather taken aback, but he didn't move; merely replied, "Are you sure about that?"

"Oh, absolutely."

"Well, then," he said, ever the daring sentient, "give it your best shot."

"In a manner of speaking," said Deanna before she showed Riker that there were quite a few things his rather, er, extensive sexual education hadn't prepared him for.

***

"Captain, the Hood is approaching at Warp 8."

"Thank you, Mister Worf. Open channel."

Robert DeSoto appeared on the screen, flanked by Commander Shelby. "Jean-Luc, you old devil you."

Picard smiled; he had more than a few fond memories of Robert, who tended to be one of the most genial friends a person could have. "Robert. I assume this is another Borg mission."

"Correct. Your ship is the only one to have survived the Borg, so Starfleet figured you get the honours of exterminating this latest threat."

Picard sighed deeply. "Yes, well."

"Permission to beam over, Sir," said Shelby.

"Granted. Robert - I heard you made First Contact with a group of energy beings in quadrant 543."

"Yup. Great people, those... well, great patterns at any rate. I think they're interested in the Federation because they liked my sense of humour."

"Only you could find a group of all-energy aliens with a sense of humour," said Jean-Luc.

"Yeah. We'll be supporting you on this mission, Jean-Luc. If you need us, just give a yell."

"Will do."

"And tell Will if he ever gets tired of babysitting you..."

"I don't think I will tell him that," said Picard, grinning broadly.

"Good luck. Hood out."

The turbolift opened, and Commander Shelby stepped onto the bridge. "Captain Picard."

"Commander."

Shelby immediately wanted to begin, so Picard called a conference in the observation lounge. Shelby began by putting forward her idea on the latest data the Enterprise had accumulated about the Borg. "I think the idea of 'cell division' is essentially correct; our defense plans must be to tackle the smaller cells, as it were, before they become the mature Borg vessels like the one that kidnapped the captain."

"And how do we go about that?" asked Riker.

Shelby lifted her eyebrows. "I think we can use the main deflector dish like we did the last time," she said. "Although they might be prepared for it, the energy output might very well be too great for a ship that size." She squared her shoulders and went on. "Our first priority is to find this Borg vessel before it is able to assimilate any more people. We have the coordinates of where you lost the ship, we can make our determinations of it's direction from that."

"And we just destroy it?" asked Beverly suddenly.

All heads turned towards her. "Explain," said Picard.

"I was linked to them for three hours... they have a great deal of technological knowledge and a vast amount of drive. There are great advantages to working as a group mind," she added. "If we could somehow talk to them... maybe just this individual ship, we might have a chance to gain something."

Shelby looked horrified at this; Picard looked even more shocked. It was he who spoke. "Doctor, these people squash every ounce of a person's will."

"I know." Beverly looked down. "They hurt me, as well." She looked at Riker, who looked back at her, his hurt mirroring hers. "But they have a right to live, too."

Shelby paced the length of the table. "This issue is academic. If they're encroaching on our space, we must defend ourselves. I think that's the only priority we can afford right now, as far as the Borg are concerned."

"Agreed." Picard stood up, pulled his jacket straight. "Mister Data, you will project the Borg ship's course, and we will proceed from there. Dismissed."

When everyone went out, Beverly remained again. "Doctor?"

"Jean-Luc, are we just going to keep killing the Borg whenever we encounter them?"

Picard took her by the shoulders. “Beverly, I hate killing as much as you. In this instance, we don't have any choice."

She nodded. "I made my choice, and they took it away. But ignorance is sometimes excusable. I don't think the Borg could pass a standard sanity test as far as knowing right from wrong. In a court of old, they wouldn't be executed, they'd be cared for."

"Perhaps. Beverly, I don't have any answers."

"And that's the problem, isn't it?" With that, she left, and Picard remained in the conference room, trying to separate his hatred of what had been done to him from the issues his chief medical officer had raised.

They encountered the Borg on the border of Ferengi space. "Reccomend we use the main deflector immediately," put in Shelby. "We have the element of surprise."

Picard shook his head. These weren't the Borg who had taken away everything he'd been and replaced it with something called Locutus. These Borg deserved a chance. Picard ordered Worf to open a channel, and, growling slightly, the Klingon did so. "I am Captain..."

"Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. We know you." Strangely, these Borg did not attempt to lock onto the Enterprise, but at their answer everyone's spirits fell. 

The Borg were too well interconnected for them to get very far by talking. "We wish to open dialogue with you," Picard pressed on, hoping against hope.

"Dialogue is irrelevant. When we are able, we will assimilate you."

"Why not assimilate us now?"

"When we have grown, we will do so. Any other course is irrelevant."

"You realise we have to defend ourselves."

"Defense is irrelevant."

Picard made a sign to Worf to terminate communication. "I think you're right, Commander," he said to Shelby. "Stand by for delector use."

Everyone braced, to see what would happen.

"Mister Worf, make it so."

Worf pressed a button and energy flooded the Borg ship. Most of the people on the bridge wanted to look away, but somehow they couldn't. They watched as the Borg ship seemed to shudder, then blew into a zillion pieces. And instead of everyone cheering, everyone was silent. It was the silence, first of disbelief, then of relief, then finally of sadness as everyone realised the impications.

Guinan, standing watching the event at the Ten Forward viewport, closed her eyes. Beverly had been standing behind her; now she asked, "What do you feel?"

"Sadness for lives lost. But my people... the dead can now rest in peace." She looked at the doctor with a question in her eyes. Beverly sighed. "I'm ashamed, Guinan. I'm so glad they're gone. My child... I feel avenged for the baby Will and I nearly had. And I'm sad that killing them is all we could do."

Guinan patted Crusher's shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. I feel that way too. As long as we realise our own motives, we can feel vengeance."

"You didn't."

"I would have, if someone hadn't been kind to me once, long after the Borg destroyed my world."

"You're very understanding, you know," said Beverly, smiling through her grief.

"We do what we can," answered the alien, smiling back at her.

The Hood picked up Shelby for her ride back to her own ship, and the Enterprise was sent on the rather routine mission of picking up some unreplicatable medical supplies for transport to Starbase 132. Beverly went to the Holodeck and sat on a quiet island, listening to waves crash around her.

She sat there for a very long time before the Holodeck doors opened and Jean-Luc Picard stepped out onto the island and joined her.

"It's peaceful here," he said unnecessarily.

"Yes." As she said it, Beverly looked at him, and the captain noted tears on her cheeks.   
"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Jean-Luc."

He wiped away the tears, noting - not for the first time - the softness of this woman's skin, and the warmth emanating from her. "Then what are these?"

She smiled slightly. "Cleansers. They've made me whole again."

Picard said nothing, and Beverly went on. "It was only when I spoke to Guinan that I truly let go. The baby is gone. I accept that. But I hated the Borg for it. I tried to sublimate it..."

"By being concerned for them."

"Yes. And when we blew up their ship... I wanted to jump for joy."

"It's a normal reaction," said Picard, remembering his reaction to the way the Borg had violated him.

"I know. Guinan told me that. I came here... and it's all gone. All of it. I can start again now, with no emotional baggage."

"Good." Picard leaned towards her. "Beverly..."

She looked at him.

"Watching you these last days... I feel for you."

"Jean-Luc, you're my rock... just knowing you're on this ship comforted me. But... I don't know what to make of this."

"I need you. I realised that when I almost lost you."

"You need me?"

"Yes. I wished..." Picard looked down. "I wished the baby was mine. I wanted that relationship with you."

"Jean-Luc --"

"Hear me out. I'm not going to tell you why I've changed my mind about... everything. Just... be with me." He leaned all the way over and kissed her. As she opened her mouth, Beverly felt all of Jean-Luc's warmth flood into her, giving her a new perspective on him, and on herself.

Picard's hand went into her hair, as he felt the red silk caress his fingers. Finally he moved away from her, his breathing barely even. "I want you so much," he said.

Beverly licked her lips. "We... can go to my quarters."

"No. Here."

The doctor swallowed, hard this time. "Here?"

For an answer, Picard leaned right over and kissed her... removing her medical jacket, which he flung into the sea. Then he slowly began to remove her uniform... until only a few scraps of lacy lingerie remained. Picard's breath caught in his throat as he noticed that it covered the most strategic parts - barely. He lifted his hand to remove these, too, when Beverly stopped him. "My turn."

Picard found himself being disrobed, and he realised with some amusement that this didn't give him the sense of panic it once might have. It felt right, and warm, and good. He was only wearing one piece of regulation underwear, which Beverly didn't touch. He looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"You first," she said, and he leaned over and kissed her mouth, her eyes, her cheeks... his hand going to the lingerie and gently sliding it off.

When her underwear was all gone, Beverly looked into Jean-Luc's eyes, seeing things there which she had never seen before. She looked down, thinking that, as a doctor, she should probably tell him that he shouldn't wear underwear that... er, small, but although it was not see-through, it did not hide anything, either...

When the last of the clothes were gone, Picard smiled at her - the first smile she had seen in a long time that had true happiness behind it. And then Crusher noticed the tears on his cheeks, too. "Why are you crying, Jean-Luc?"

"Would you believe I don't know?" he said, putting his arms around her. She returned the embrace, and then both of them decided they never wanted to let go...

***

Riker and Deanna walked hand in hand towards Ten Forward to relax a bit. They were discussing various bits of trivia and looked positively aglow in one another's company. Everyone on board had noticed this subtle shift, but had said nothing. As luck would have it, the two of them passed the Holodeck. "You know," said Riker, "we could always postpone our dessert and see what programs we can conjure up in there..."

Deanna punched him on the arm, smiling. "No! I know you; we'd be there all day."

"That'd be all the fun," answered Riker, a twinkle in his eye.

"Will!"

"What?" he said, quite innocently, as the Holodeck doors opened.

There stood Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Doctor Beverly Crusher, both covered head to toe in what looked like sea sand, and Beverly was holding a soaking wet medical jacket. The two of them were looking into each other's eyes and seemed oblivious of anything around them.

Will and Deanna looked conspiri-torially, then Will walked forward. "Afternoon, Captain."

"Aft..." Picard's reaction was automatic as he half-said the first word, then went red. The corridors nearby this Holodeck were usually empty this time of day. Picard tried again. "Uh... Number One, Counselor."

"Captain. Beverly." Deanna smiled broadly, obviously receiving all the emotions being broadcast by the two beach-combers.

"Hi, Deanna," answered Crusher, not looking in the least embarrased.

"Went for a walk on the beach did you, Sir?" asked Riker in his most innocent tone.

"Uh, yes, Commander."

"Well, we're off to Ten Forward. See ya." With that, Riker took Deanna's arm and hauled her away, grinning evilly the whole time.

"Will!"

"What?"

"That was cruel."

"1 know, but it's about time," he answered.

So the rest of the crew would think when they found out, Beverly knew, but she also knew that the only thing the love of her life was worried about was getting to his quarters without leaving a trail of sand in the ship's corridor...

I just can't help believing   
When she's lying close beside me   
And my heart beats with the rhythm of her sighs   
This time the girl is gonna stay   
For more than just a day

THE END


End file.
